Ruth Vogel's Archives

Credit: Little Flowers of St. Francis Fraternity

This Is My Story!

Franciscan Apostolate

Dear Brothers and Sisters I would like you to become really aware of yourselves and understand what Franciscanism is all about and not to just depend on the words of other people. I want you to begin, or, if you have already begun, to intensify your own feeling about what this Franciscan Way of Life is; to begin to feel the great joy and the marvel of how it can bring you into a closer intimacy and greater love of Jesus Christ. I want you to begin right now to stand on your own two feet and be dedicated.

1. The Sacrament of the Apostolate

"God has not called you for your own sake alone; but, also to save others."

(a) A responsible adult does things not because he is asked to do them; but, because they need to be done.

(b) As baptized children in the Church, we work for our own personal salvation. Later we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and grow up and feel responsible for the great Family of people of which we are a part.

(c) We are to “Go and preach the good news to all nations.” We are to share our faith with others. How? For most of us, it is by example. St. Francis said, "All brothers and sisters should preach by their actions." He also said, “I preach constantly, and sometimes I speak words.”

2. The Primary Apostolate is Good Example

(a) We may think we have little influence on others. Don't believe it! Even as we have been influenced by the good of others, like mothers, fathers, and teachers; so, too, we may, unknown to ourselves, influence others to be good. Someone once said, "What you are, thunders so loud, I can't hear what you say.”

(b) We should always call on Christ to influence what we do, and how we should react in any given situation.

3. The Apostolate of Peace.

(a) Blessed are the peacemakers. Pax et Bonum! Peace and Goodness to you.

(b) Peace. What is it? It is in the heart, despite physical or mental suffering or tragedy. It is found in Christ on the Cross. This is peace. Without Christ there is turmoil! Peace is seeing eye to eye with Christ.

(c) Peace is not the absence of trouble, problems, suffering, or temptation. Peace is Christ in our hearts, in our thoughts, and in our wills. It is our responsi- bility to conform our will to the Omniscient One.

(d) Peacemakers should be humble, charitable, prudent, and patient. "One must be ready to be silent when words are futile."

(e) One must not be unbending. Peace may have to be made by surrender, not of a principle; but, by yielding to the preference of another.

4. The Apostolate of Personal Holiness.

(a) We want holiness for ourselves and for the whole world. Holiness is not a private affair. Holiness is social because it consists of charity to all men.

(b) Holiness is apostolic, not in devotion alone; but, in action, in involvement, and in projects.

5. The Apostolate as Franciscans

(a) St. Francis’ motto was, "Not to live for him- self alone, but to live for the benefit of others.”

(b) Christ said, "I came, not to be served, but to serve. We see again the Franciscan Aposto- late following closely the Gospel way which is Christ’s way; in what He said and what He did, and what He taught us while He lived on earth.

(c) Christ did not come for the private benefit of St. Francis or anyone else. He came to make all men his brothers, and for this task, the help of all Franciscans was welcome, and necessary. Francis sent his friars out, two by two, in imitation of the apostles.

(d) The Third Order must be actively apostolic. The primary purpose is personal holiness. But, the secondary and equally essential purpose is the apostolate. The Secular Franciscan Order is not merely a devotional society. Christ works through us, and He succeeds only to the degree that we work for Him.

6. The Apostolate To Those Within The Church

(a) We are the Church and we are either the glory or the shame of it.
(b) We can spoil what God has made; so, in union with Christ, there
must be a purifying within ourselves.
(c) Tertiaries should, in their daily life, strive to lead others by good
example, including piety and good works. It should be with kindness --
kindness to converts, to fellow parishioners, to those who have strayed,
to those who are confused and to those who are strangers in our parish.

7. The Apostolate to Those Outside the Church

1. Keep humble in all things. We should know that all good works we do is
God working through us. As St. Paul said, "if we are to boast, let us boast
in Jesus Christ in whatever we do."

2. Tertiaries should be informed Catholics. Do not be timid in answering
questions about the Faith. If we feel we do not know enough to answer
questions, we Tertiaries have an obligation to learn more about our faith,
both for our own sake and for the sake or others. We should:

(a) Read Diocesan newspapers.

(b) Read religious books and magazines.

(d) Be ecumenical.

8. The Apostolate of Defending the Church.

(a) We must defend the Church against the devil. We should know who he is and
what tactics he uses, and know that only through the power of God can we
conquer him. It is by prayer and charity that this can be done.

(b) We must defend the Church against the world -- against the evil in the
world. It is sometimes in the voice of a mob; sometimes in the voice of one
person; sometimes openly and brazenly; sometimes slyly, hiding behind
friendship, behind beauty, talent and popularity. How? It is by standing for
what is right; by being not just against something, but for something. It
is not condemning people but condemning evil and error. It is by encouraging
and approving others, by showing your appreciation of them and what they
are trying to do.

(d) We must proclaim that what is true, is true! Do not be afraid of the truth.

9. The Apostolate of Social Justice

St. Francis was a social reformer. In his Order, no Tertiary
was allowed to bear arms to be used against any person.

1. Pay all debts because it is just.

2. Give or take a just price for goods and services.

3. Duties of Tertiaries include:

(a) Promoting peace between members of different social classes.

(b) Bettering the conditions of the poorer classes.

(d) Honoring agricultural and manual workers.

4. Strive to better the social and political world.

5. Promote Interracial justice: We must see Christ in our black brothers and
sisters even when we might be blamed for supporting them and suffer because of it.

6. Tertiaries must have concern for all human rights. A Tertiary is his
brother's keeper.

(a) A Tertiary must not be an isolated or selfish Christian.

(b) Tertiaries must work for the body and the soul of all mankind.

10. The Lay Apostolate in Society

1. Secular Franciscans have two duties.

A. To try to produce a moral society.

B. To try to produce a society whose institutions are morally sound.
These institutions are:
(a) Political
(b) Economic
(c) Educational
(d) Family
(e) Recreational
(f) Religious
(We should try to foster the Christian ideal in these six institutions.)

2. Many a good movement dies because people loose interest. Franciscans
should never lose heart.
The basis for a Social Apostolate for each individual should be prayer and
good example.

3. Parents must Christianize their own family life. This must come before all
other apostolic work. After the family, if there is time, they can be
involved in outside-the-family apostolates. We must do what we can. We must
look for opportunities, even though it is in a small way, to make the world
a better place to live.